Reel structure mounting means



Jan. 3, 1967 R. E. SMITH REEL STRUCTURE MOUNTING MEANS Filed Feb. 24, 1965 INVENTOR.

ROY 5. SMITH United States Patent 3,295,786 REEL STRUCTURE MOUNTING MEANS Roy E. Smith, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to The Auto- Soler Company, a corporation of Georgia Filed Feb. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 434,928 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-1295) This invention relates in general to means for mounting reel structures and in particular to an improved mounting arrangement that allows installation and removal of a reel structure thereat in minimal manipulating space.

Briefly described, the reel mounting arrangement provided by the present invention comprises a tubular spindle, a latch member arranged within the spindle to dispose a head portion thereof adjacently beyond the free spindle end, and biasing means additionally arranged within the spindle to maintain the latch member yieldably cocked, so that the head portion thereon is normally displaced sidewise at the free end of the spindle to present a retaining abutment endwise thereof for holding a mounted reel structure in place, while at the same time leaving this head portion readily shiftable to axial alignment with the spindle to allow removal and installation of the reel structure without requiring more than a simple shifting of the latch head portion.

Such an arrangement has particular advantage where it is desired to mount the reel structure under conditions that allow limited clearance space, as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fastener forming and inserting machine employing a reel mounting means arranged according to the present invention for carrying the active reel supply of fastener wire satisfactorily within the limited space allowed by accessory shelving associated with the machine; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail showing the reel mounting means and the reel structure thereon in section.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a fastener forming and inserting machine of the type disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,017,635, but which is particularly adapted according to the present invention for providing an improved mounting arrangement for the reel structure. Generally, this machine 10 consist of a frame structure 12 supporting an operating head 14 arranged for forming and inserting fasteners downwardly into work carried by work supporting structure 16.

These fasteners are formed from a supply of wire 18 contained on a reel structure 20 mounted according to the present invention on a stanchion member 22 and disposed in an upper compartment 24 of an upright shelving structure 26 which includes also a number of shelves 28 arranged conveniently to store an accessible supply of replacement heels at the working area of the machine 10. To provide a pleasing appearance, the width of shelving structure 26 corresponds with the relatively narrow width of table 30. Consequently, the upper compartment 24 is also relatively narrow and only a minimal space i available for manipulating the reel structure 20 when it becomes necessary to remove it and install a fresh supply of wire. The mounting arrangement of the present invention allows an exhausted reel structure 20 to be replaced readily even in this minimal space.

This mounting arrangement, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 2, includes a tubular spindle generally indicated by reference numeral 32 secured at one of its ends in stanchion member 22 and formed by a cylindrical body portion 34 having an axial bore 36 which opens at the extending or free end thereof and which terminates at a rear wall 38. Reel structure 20, having a supply of wire 18 wound thereon, includes, a hub assembly 40 mounted for rotation on spindle 32 as the wire 18, which passes ice through conventional shock absorbing apparatus 42 to prevent breakage thereof, is drawn from the reel structure 20 during the fastener forming and inserting operation of machine 10.

To prevent reel structure 20 from sliding off the extending end of spindle 32, a latch member 44 is provided which is comprised of an elongated body portion 46 of substantially reduced diameter which relation to the diameter of axial bore 36, an enlarged base portion 48 at one end of body portion 46 proportioned in diameter for loosely fitting the diameter of axial base 36, and an enlarged head portion 50 at the other end of body portion 46 which approximates but does not exceed the exterior diameter of spindle 32. Enlarged base portion 48 has a diametric bore 52 extending therethrough in which a pin element 54 is fitted so as to project radially therefrom loosely to engage one of the diametrically opposed apertures 56 formed in the cylindrical body portion 34 of spindle 32 and thereby locate the head portion 50 adjacently beyond the extending end of spindle 32. Also contained in axial bore 36 is a coil spring 58 bottomed at rear wall 38 and acting to exert an axial compression bias against base portion 48 which reacts in relation to the loosely engaged pin element 54 to maintain latch member 44 cocked as seen in FIG. 2 so that the head portion 50' is normally displaced sidewise at the extending end of spindle 32 thereby to present an abutment which restrains endwise movement of reel structure 20.

When the reel structure 20 becomes exhausted, the operator simply places his fingers against the outer face of head portion 50, which is roughened to provide a better gripping surface, and manually shifts the latch member 44 against the bias of coil spring 58 until it is axially aligned with spindle 32 and head portion 48 lies within the extended plane of the outer surface thereof which allows the hub assembly 40 to slide endwise on spindle 32 for removal of reel structure 20. Similarly, to add a new reel structure 20, the hub assembly 40 thereof is positioned about head portion 48 and pressed downwardly until the latch member 44 is aligned with spindle 32 whereupon the hub assembly 40 is slid onto the spindle 20 until head portion 48 is released and snaps back to its normal position for maintaining reel structure 20 on the spindle 32.

The pin element 54 is installed in latch member 44 first by aligning diametric bore 52 with the opposed apertures 56 and then passing the pin element 54 through one of the opposed apertures 56 for frictional engagement with diametric bore 52 to hold the pin element 54 at a position for engaging this opposed aperture 56 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Similarly, pin element 54 may be disengaged by aligning diametric bore 52 with opposed apertures 56 and introducing a driving tool at one of the opposed apertures 56 to displace the pin element 54 and free the latch member 44 in axial bore 36 for removal therefrom.

The present invention has been described above for purposes of illustration only, and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for mounting a reel structure comprising a tubular spindle, a latch member having an elongated body portion of substantially reduced diameter in relation to the inner diameter of said spindle with an enlarged base portion at one end thereof proportioned in diameter for loosely fitting said inner diameter and an enlarged head portion at the other end thereof approximating but not exceeding in diameter the exterior size of said spindle, said latch member having the body portion thereof arranged lengthwise within said spindle with the base portion thereof fitted with means projecting radially therefrom and loosely engaging an aperture in the tubular Wall of said spindle for locating said head portion adjacently beyond an end of said spindle, and a coil spring contained within said spindle for exerting a compression bias against said base portion axially of said spindle and thereby reacting in relation to said radially projecting means to maintain said latch member yieldably cocked, so that said head portion is normally displaced sidewise at the adjacent spindle end to present a retaining abutment endwise thereof while always remaining shiftable to axial alignment with said spindle.

2. Means for mounting a reel structure as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said tubular spindle is formed by a cylindrical body member having an axial bore opening at one end thereof and terminating short of the other, and in that aid coil spring is bottomed in said bore adjacent said other body member end.

3. Means for mounting a reel structure as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said radially projecting means comprises a pin element installed at a diamctric bore in said latch member base portion, and in that said tubular spindle has diametrically opposed apertures formed in the Wall thereof to provide for installing and removing said pin element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1921 Holden 242-683 x 9/1953 Ripley 242-68.3 

1. MEANS FOR MOUNTING A REEL STRUCTURE COMPRISING A TUBULAR SPINDLE, A LATCH MEMBER HAVING AN ELONGATED BODY PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED DIAMETER IN RELATION TO THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID SPINDLE WITH AN ENLARGED BASE PORTION AT ONE END THEREOF PROPORTIONED IN DIAMETER FOR LOOSELY FITTING SAID INNER DIAMETER AND AN ENLARGED HEAD PORTION AT THE OTHER END THEREOF APPROXIMATING BUT NOT EXCEEDING IN DIAMETER THE EXTERIOR SIZE OF SAID SPINDLE, SAID LATCH MEMBER HAVING THE BODY PORTION THEREOF ARRANGED LENGTHWISE SAID SPINDLE WITH THE BASE PORTION THEREOF FITTED WITH MEANS PROJECTING RADIALLY THEREFROM AND LOOSELY ENGAGING AN APERTURE IN THE TUBULAR WALL OF SAID SPINDLE FOR LOCATING SAID HEAD PORTION ADJACENTLY BEYOND AN END OF SAID SPINDLE, AND A COIL SPRING CONTAINED WITHIN SAID SPINDLE FOR EXERTING A COMPRESSION BIAS AGAINST SAID BASE PORTION AXIALLY OF SAID SPINDLE AND THEREBY REACTING IN RELATION TO SAID RADIALLY PROJECTING MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID LATCH MEMBER YIELDABLY COCKED, SO THAT SAID HEAD PORTION IS NORMALLY DISPLACED SIDEWISE AT THE ADJACENT SPINDLE END TO PRESENT A RETAINING ABUTMENT ENDWISE THEREOF WHILE ALWAYS REMAINING SHIFTABLE TO AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SPINDLE. 